8/4/2014 This Way Out

The love letters of Christopher and his "kitty"; New lesbian literature from two women of color; Michelle Bachmann signals another homophobic U.S. presidential run; Russia plays spy games with LGBT activists, a Turkish court overrules homophobic hate speech, Kenya's high court orders NGO status for a transrights group, a US federal court blasts Colorado's marriage ban, more!

"NewsWrap": A judge declares St. Petersburg-based LGBT advocacy group Coming Out Russia "foreign agents", while officials in the same city tell organizers to dump (or landfill) Pride; a Turkish court rules that calling someone a "pervert" is hate speech, and Kenya's high court orders the government to accept the registration of the group Transgender Education and Advocacy as a non-governmental organization; Colorado's is the latest U.S. state ban on civil marriage for same-gender couples to be declared unconstitutional by a federal court, while a separate court rules that Boulder County can continue to offer marriage licenses to lesbian and gay couples, over the continuing objections of Republican Attorney General John Suthers; a second South Florida circuit court declares that state's civil marriage ban unconstitutional, but both rulings are stayed pending appeal; with all copies of one title already destroyed, two of the 3 LGBT-positive children's books ordered to meet the same fate by Singapore's National Library Board are saved following several days of public outcry, but will now only be available in the adult literature section; a new owner steps in at the last minute to save Philadelphia's iconic LGBT bookstore Giovanni's Room from closure; tongues wag over out performer John Barrowman's man-on-man kiss during the Opening Ceremonies of the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow; and otherwise affable "Modern Family" star ERIC STONESTREET refuses to be photographed with one rabidly anti-gay U.S. politician [with brief comments by both RICK SANTORUM and Stonestreet] (produced by STEVE PRIDE, written by GREG GORDON, and reported this week by CHRISANNE EASTWOOD and MICHAEL ALLAN)

Republican congressional representative from Minnesota and former U.S. presidential hopeful MICHELLE BACHMANN is reportedly harboring hopes of a homophobic re-run. Right Wing Watch highlighted a particularly odious snippet of Bachmann's conversation with conservative radio's “Faith & Liberty” host DAVE GARRISON, sharing her assessment of the LGBT "agenda" -- or "immorality," as Garrison calls it

"This Way Out" queer life and literature commentator JANET MASON finds emerging lesbian truth in the words of two women of color: Judith K. Witherow's "Strong Enough to Bend" and S. Renee Bess' "When I Read the Rules" (with intro music from "Leaping Lesbians" by SUE FINK)

By 1953 Christopher Isherwood had become an accomplished member of the British literati. He may be best known for his "Berlin Stories", which became the foundation for the musical "Cabaret". DON BACHARDY was a U.C.L.A. freshman destined to become a top portrait artist. To each other they became "horse" and "kitty" -- the pet names behind the curious title of their collected love letters, "The Animals". "This Way Out" correspondent CHARLIE BAUER PhD visited with Bachardy at the longtime home he shared with Isherwood in the Los Angeles area beach community of Santa Monica (Part 1 of 2, with intro music from "Love Letters" performed by NAT KING COLE, and ending with a preview of Part 2)